Tariffs, sanctions, and price caps can't stop Russia's war on Ukraine

The topic of peace negotiations, which just a few weeks ago was actively discussed by leading politicians and media around the world, has faded into the background.

It’s clear that the U.S. administration, at the very least, did not win the first round of peace talks. Yes, Washington managed to pressure Ukraine into an unconditional agreement to a ceasefire. But after getting the ball on their side of the field, it's unclear whether the Americans passed the initiative on — to Russia.

"The lack of any activity indicates that negotiations are currently on pause. The U.S. now faces a choice: either continue pressuring Ukraine to make concessions, or finally begin applying real pressure on Putin to force him to negotiate seriously."

But so far, there are no signs of movement in either direction. In a month and a half of activity, the Americans have created nearly ideal conditions for Putin to comfortably exit the war. The ceasefire along the front line, which Ukraine has de facto agreed to, not only leaves a significant portion of our territory under occupation, but also opens the door to gradually lifting sanctions. In other words — to a “normalization of Russia” after mass violations of international law, hundreds of thousands of deaths, and thousands of destroyed towns and villages. Such a scenario gives Putin the opportunity to exit the war “on top.”

"Paradoxically, even in the hypothetical case of capturing Kyiv and Ukraine’s surrender, Russia would not have gained such a political bonus, since lifting sanctions would still be impossible."

If this was Washington’s plan — it’s a very strange one. And if Putin was simply given time to think — we can see how that time is being used. Every missile or Shahed drone fired at our cities kills civilians — adults and children. But no one who truly wants to end the war launches missiles at playgrounds. Our allies in Europe understand this well. That’s why the EU is not slowing down its support for Ukraine — military, political, and financial. This gives hope for a just end to the war. And a return of the U.S. to the role of Ukraine’s active ally would make Donald Trump’s goals of a swift end to the war more realistic than ever.

The only way to force Putin to stop the war is to work toward a Ukrainian military victory. Last year’s plan by Keith Kellogg envisioned exactly this in case the Kremlin refused to negotiate: “flood Ukraine with weapons.” And that’s exactly the approach the U.S. had been taking until now. The next steps of the Trump administration will show whether this plan remains relevant. But even now it’s clear: no economic tools — tariffs, sanctions, or price caps — can stop the war.

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About the author: Mykola Kniazhytskyi, journalist, Member of Parliament of Ukraine.

The editorial team does not always share the views expressed by blog or column authors.